Dear Source:
I have been privy to several communications via email, telephone, and social media and in response to the Letter to the Editor submitted by FOSTPL and published in both online and print news. One person in particular is mentioned more than most, and that is the late June A. V. Lindqvist. I saw a copy of the actual bill honoring Lindqvist (20th Legislature); I found it quite instructional as I met her but had no
idea how much devotion she had given to the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
I am certain that if it were not for June Lindqvist, many of the precious treasures that exist in the Von Scholten Collection would not exist, as she took it upon herself to raise $10,000 to replace damaged microfilms – in 1986, a tidy sum! She found the time to educate herself and set a sterling example of scholarly endeavor in pursuit of a goal. She even stood in solid opposition of the destruction of many of the very records that we so treasure today.
When the St. Thomas Regional Library debuts, it will open its arms to youngsters and also adults, some of whom I have spoken with, whose eyes sparkle as they recall the crisply efficient yet warm June A. V. Lindqvist as she walked the stacks. Her name on that library will be a satisfying tribute to someone who is as much as part of the new library’s foundation as if she had presided over the groundbreaking.
St. Thomas, V.I.